Modern Day Slavery in the Philippines

by Fr. Shay Cullen

Slavery today is the same as it always was, its human beings being reduced to a commodity, deprived of freedom, working for nothing, exploited for profit, owned like an animal, forced to grovel. And worst of all it is the slavery of children in the organized sex industry, a billion dollar business. In the worst forms of sexual exploitation child sex slaves are chained to beds, abused daily, threatened and tortured, punched and punished, beaten and bruised, and made a plaything for the powerful, a toy for the depraved.

This kind of sex slavery is organized, financed by local and foreign investors; many of them have criminal backgrounds in their own countries and are protected by politicians, prosecutors and judges. Some of these are implicated and compromised by illicit relationships with minors and open to blackmail by the child and women traffickers and exploiters. They can prosper with impunity. The criminals who travel from Britain or other Western countries as sex tourists are the modern slavers of today, they profit from the poverty and bondage of the weak and vulnerable. The big time sex club operators are mostly western too, assisted by corrupt politicians in the developing nations.

These westerners and wealthy Asians become the investors in brothels and bars.

They operate with impunity, protected by local police and politicians in the exploitation of the enslaved women and children. They are not sufficiently pursued abroad by British and European law enforcement officers nor is there political will to investigate the criminals and bring them to Justice in their country of origin. It is a sad reality that some believe that it is “better let the sex abusers and pedophiles abuse the children abroad than here,” this attitude would seem to say.

One child, the case, of 15 year old Angelita, is not unusual. She was hired by a recruiter in Negros Island. Her parents were given an advance payment from her promised future wages. She was brought from Negros Island to Manila as a domestic worker to be a house maid for a wealthy businessman but was raped by his son, Angelita ran away, was offered food and shelter by a pimp on the prowl and then sold to the Sweet 16 Club in Subic, Olongapo. Angelita was given “loans” so she was continually in debt and only earned a pittance. Most of her earnings was deducted to pay the loans and her board and lodging, laundry and other needs. Angelita was warned not to leave until all her debts were paid or she would be jailed. This is the situation of thousands of women and children in the sex industry that is allowed to thrive with the support of local politicians who issue the licenses and permits to the bars and clubs.

Angelita was saved by the Preda rescue team, received protection and therapy and recovered at the Preda children’s home. Today she is a practicing social worker helping abused children. With affirmation, care and support the greatest hardships can be overcome. Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.

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E-mail: preda@info.com.ph

Street children as young as nine or 10 are jammed into Philippine prison cells for minor crimes, says Irish priest, Fr. Shay Cullen. (SOURCE: Western Catholic Reporter)